Wells Branch Armada

It's hard to believe we're already entering the final stretch of the 2026 Armada season! As we prepare for our last home meet of the year, there's still plenty of excitement ahead both in and out of the pool.

This week we're gearing up for a fun-filled Tie Dye-themed meet against the Rattan Creek Hurricanes, celebrating another outstanding weekend of racing, and looking ahead to some of our favorite end-of-season traditions. From the Pep Rally and Tie Dye party to Coaches Appreciation Day, Awards Night, and our first-ever Meat Raffle & Music Night, the calendar is packed with opportunities to make lasting Armada memories.

As the season begins to wind down, let's finish the same way we've competed all summer: supporting one another, cheering loudly, volunteering generously, and making every moment count.

Interested in taking on a larger role with the team? We're always looking for prospective board members, so if you'd like to be considered for a role on the board please fill out our board self-nomination form. Or talk to any board member at the pool. Parents who are committed year-round help keep this special team going. Please consider serving!

By Patrick Ricci, President

As we move into the last couple weeks of the season, there are several events coming up that we'd like to remind families of—in addition to our last regular season swim meet against Rattan Creek (6/20), Divisionals (6/27), and Invitationals (6/28). So please take a moment now to mark your calendars.

• Thursday, 6/18: Pep Rally & Tie Dying at Willow Bend Park
• Friday, 6/19: Jason's Deli Spirit Night
• Tuesday, 6/23: Coaches Appreciation Day at practice
  • Check out the binder by the coaches' file box to learn about our coaches' favorite things. Let's show them how much we appreciate everything they do!
• Friday, 6/26: Final Fun Friday & Team Picture
• Tuesday, 6/30: Awards Ceremony
• Thursday, 7/2: Meat Raffle & Music Night

Let's finish the season strong with our best swims in the pool, as well as these great opportunities to show our Armada pride and camaraderie! 

By: Coach Maddie

Wonderful. Bold. Amazing. Just a few words that describe what I saw from each of you this week at our tri-meet against Cedar Park and Anderson Mill!

Even with the challenge of competing in a longer pool, many of you didn't let that get in the way of your success. We saw plenty of time drops, and some swimmers even secured invitational qualifying times! All of us coaches are incredibly proud of the determination and positive attitude you bring every week.

With only two weeks left in the season, keep pushing yourselves outside of your comfort zones and striving for your very best. Don't be afraid to try those last few events you've been considering. The coaches are here for you and are happy to help in any way. 

This week will be our final home meet of the season against Rattan Creek, so get excited for another Pep Rally! We'll be at Willow Bend Park on Thursday, 6/18, starting at 5:30 PM to tie-dye shirts for this week's meet theme. Please bring your own cotton shirt, and we'll provide everything else.

Let's finish the season strong! Check down below for our clinic schedule this week: 

Monday:

• 11:45-12:25: Dives, Flip Turns, Backstroke
• 12:20-12:50: Dives, Breaststroke

Wednesday:

• 11:45-12:15: Starts, 10&under Butterfly, 11up Butterfly
• 12:20-12:50: 10&under Backstroke, 11up Backstroke

Friday:

• 11:45-12:15: Dives, IM, 10&under Breaststroke, 11&up Breaststroke
• 12:20-12:50: Starts, Turns, 10&under Backstroke, 11&up Backstroke

Our last official home meet of the season is this Saturday against the Rattan Creek Hurricanes. Swimmers may enter up to three (3) individual events.

📍 Key Info:

• Registration deadline: Monday June 15th at 1:00 PM
• Location: Willow Bend Pool
• Arrival Time: 6:00 AM
  • Please be ON TIME and check in your swimmer as soon as you arrive
• Warm-Ups (WBA): 6:20–6:50 AM
• Warm-Ups (Hurricanes): 6:50–7:20 AM
• Meet Start: 7:30 AM
• Snack-bar (Fruit) Donations: Requested from 7/8's. See info below.
• Theme: Tie Dye! 

Late arrivals will be scratched from relays—please be on time.
If you need to scratch your swimmer after the meet has closed, please email us!

🧰 Meet Set-Up

• Friday, June 19 at 7:00 PM
• Saturday, June 20 at 5:30 AM
  More details are available on the team website.

🚗 Parking Reminder

Home meet parking adjacent to the pool is reserved for the visiting team. Armada families should park:

• Along Sauls and Crissom
• Near Wells Branch Elementary
• On Long Vista Dr.

🚫 Do NOT park along Bratton or in nearby business lots, violators risk being towed.

Overflow parking is available at the Rec Center on Shoreline Dr., but be prepared for a longer walk. Drop-offs are encouraged.

🍎 Concessions Donations:

At each home meet, specific age groups are asked to donate (typically fresh fruit) to help stock the snack-bar, which is used as a free, healthy option for all swimmers. For this meet, swimmers ages 7/8's are asked to contribute.

The most helpful donation? Individual bags of cut fruit—they’re in high demand and can’t be prepped in advance by our volunteers.

Pool Maps / Meet Layout / Tips & Tricks

Heading into your first competitive meet? We have you covered!

📍 Pool Maps are available under the Resources tab on our website. 🔗 Click HERE for a quick shortcut to maps and meet resources. If this is your first meet, take five minutes to look over the map, it will make Saturday morning much easier!

Get ready to bring the color, Armada! Our spirit theme for the next swim meet is Tie Dye. Show your team spirit by wearing your favorite tie-dye shirts, shorts, hats, socks, or accessories. The brighter and more colorful, the better!

Whether you're swimming, cheering, timing, or volunteering, let's fill the pool deck with a wave of color and make Wells Branch Armada impossible to miss. Gather your teammates, coordinate your colors, and help us create a fun and vibrant atmosphere for another great meet.

Go Armada!

by Juli Thatcher, Volunteer Coordinator

A huge THANK YOU to all of our incredible Armada volunteers who helped make our second away meet a success! Whether you served as a timer, stroke judge, ready bench volunteer, runner, pit parent, setup crew member, or filled one of the many other important roles, your time and dedication helped create a great experience for our swimmers.

Now we're turning our attention to our final home meet of the season, and it takes an all-hands-on-deck effort to make it happen. Home meets require our largest volunteer commitment of the year, and every position is critical to keeping the meet running smoothly, safely, and on schedule.

Volunteer signups are now open, and we encourage families to sign up early for their preferred jobs. Early signups help us ensure all key positions are covered and allow our meet leadership team to focus on preparing for a successful final home meet rather than scrambling to fill last-minute openings.

This meet is also one of our best opportunities to showcase the incredible Armada community to our visiting team. From the first warm-up to the final relay, our volunteers play a huge role in creating the welcoming, organized, and fun atmosphere that makes Armada special.

Thank you for everything you do throughout the season. Your support, flexibility, and commitment are what make summer swim possible for our swimmers.

📋 Mark Your Calendars

Volunteer signups for our next meet open Tuesday at 12:00 PM (Noon). Set a reminder and grab your favorite position early!

If something urgent comes up (illness, emergency, or schedule conflict), please notify Juli Thatcher as soon as possible so we can make adjustments and ensure all positions remain covered.

Thank you for helping make our final home meet of the season a great one!

Mark your calendars and skip the dinner dishes! Join your Armada teammates and families for our next Spirit Night Fundraiser at Jason's Deli on Friday, June 19th, from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM. RSVP here so we can tell the restaurant how many are coming!

📍 Jason's Deli
117 Louis Henna Blvd
Round Rock, TX 78664

This is an easy and delicious way to support the Wells Branch Armada. Enjoy dinner with teammates, catch up with swim families, and help raise funds that directly support our swimmers, coaches, equipment, and team programs.

Dining in? Simply present the fundraiser flyer when ordering. Ordering online? Use the code FUND20 and a portion of your purchase will be donated back to the Armada.

Whether you're craving a sandwich, salad, soup, baked potato, or a trip to the famous free ice cream station, every meal helps support our team. Bring your family, invite your friends, and let's fill Jason's Deli with Armada spirit!

Do you still need to meet your $100 per family fundraising commitment? You can pay in full on our Swim Shop here.

We are also offering raffle tickets for two amazing prizes, which will be awarded at our Awards Night. We will be raffling at least one of each: VIP Parking spot for the 2027 season, and a 2027 Armada Registration.

Buy tickets here! 

by Deanna Johnson, [email protected]

The countdown is on for one of the most anticipated Armada events of the summer!

Join us on Thursday, July 2, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Hanover's Draught House in Pflugerville for the inaugural Wells Branch Armada Meat Raffle & Music Night.

The Armada Meat Raffle is a fun-filled evening where a few raffle tickets could turn into steaks, briskets, ground beef, and other delicious prizes. Whether you're hoping to take home dinner for the family or score one of the premium meat packages, every raffle ticket supports the Wells Branch Armada.

And this year, we're turning up the volume with live performances by Armada swimmers, coaches, and family members throughout the evening! Come cheer on your teammates, enjoy great music, and be sure to stick around for a special performance by Coaches Reese & Caden.

🎤 Musicians: Don't forget that performer sign-ups close June 16. If you'd like to sing, play an instrument, or perform with a group, be sure to submit your Musician Sign-Up Form soon.

Bring the whole family, invite your friends and neighbors, and help us make this first-ever Music Night a huge success. Great music, great prizes, and great Armada memories all in one place!

 flyer by Sloan

Congratulations to all of our event champions and to every Armada swimmer who stepped onto the blocks this weekend. Every race is the result of early mornings, countless laps, focused practices, and the determination to keep improving. We are proud not only of the victories, but also of the sportsmanship, teamwork, and effort displayed throughout the meet. Keep challenging yourselves, supporting your teammates, and representing the Armada with pride both in and out of the pool.

Congratulations to all of our relay champions for showcasing the very best of Armada swimming. Relay success is built on trust, teamwork, and four swimmers giving everything they have for one another. From strong starts and smooth exchanges to exciting finishes, these teams demonstrated how powerful it can be when individual effort combines into a shared goal. Your performances energized the entire pool deck and reminded us that some of the most memorable moments in swimming are created together.

Every meet brings new personal bests, but our Fast Fishies are the swimmers who made the biggest waves this week! These athletes earned recognition by posting the largest cumulative time improvements within their age group and category, demonstrating the results of their hard work, determination, and commitment at practice.

For more information about the Fast Fishy Award and other weekly recognitions, please visit the Weekly Awards FAQ on the Armada website.

Swimmers who have previously earned a Fast Fishy swim cap remain eligible for recognition. When a repeat winner is selected, the swim cap award rolls down to the next qualifying swimmer, while the repeat winner receives a special recognition prize.

Please join us in congratulating these swimmers who achieved the impressive feat of improving their personal best times in all three of their individual events this weekend. Consistent improvement across an entire meet is a testament to hard work, focus, and determination, and these athletes should be proud of the results they earned through their dedication in practice and on race day.

Congratulations to our record breakers who etched their names into Armada history this weekend! Setting a club record is an extraordinary achievement that reflects countless hours of practice, perseverance, and dedication to the sport. These swimmers didn't just race against the competition, they raced against every Armada swimmer who came before them and established a new standard for future generations to chase. Whether these records stand for a few days, years, or even decades, the accomplishment of becoming a Wells Branch Armada record holder can never be taken away. We are incredibly proud of your hard work, determination, and outstanding performances in the pool.

🏆 Lucas McGuire - Boys 11-12 100 Freestyle - 1:03.46 Old: 1:04.48

Congratulations as well to our record-setting relay team, that improved this new record again!

🏆 Boys 11-12 200 Freestyle Relay - 2:01.02 Old: 2:03.12

* D'Zion Booker-Thompson, Darrell Christmas, Hayden Wu, Lucas McGuire

Please join us in celebrating our NWSC Invitational qualifiers, including swimmers who earned their first qualifying times this season and those who added new events to their growing invitational lineup. Qualifying for the Invitational is a significant accomplishment that reflects dedication, perseverance, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Every qualifying swim represents the hard work put in at practice and the determination to perform when it matters most. We are proud of these athletes and look forward to watching them continue to chase new goals and achieve even more as the season progresses.

Here is the list of new and improved invitational qualifying times.

* First invitational qualifying time, will receive an invitational cap.